Double blow for St Paul’s at the weekend

Report: Enda Walshe

It hasn’t been a good week on the court for either Scott’s Lakers or Utility First as both St Paul’s club teams crashed to defeats in the league.

Storm Bert may have wreaked havoc in many parts of the country but Lakers ran into a hurricane of a different kind upon their visit to the Crescent College Gym on Saturday night.

They travelled with six wins in their locker to take on an unbeaten Limerick Celtics side, who had taken on all comers and left a trail of destruction in their wake. It would prove to be a tough night at the office for the young Lakers side but one that can definitely take lessons from.

Mikah Blackwell top scored on 29 points despite the defeat
Gracen Kerr top scored for St Paull’s on 20 points

At the close they were at the wrong end of a 106-70 scoreline and despite being on the wrong end of the result, Mikah Blackwell finished at the game top scorer with 29 points, Abdul Oladipupo shot 18, Eoin Carroll had eight, Jack O’Sullivan contributed, Jamie O’Sullivan scored five and Darnell Snyers hit four.

Utility First, meanwhile, saw Trinity Meteors taking the league honours ahead of their national cup quarter-final match next weekend. Trinity won this one on a 75-62 scoreline and it will have given coach James Fleming plenty to ponder ahead of the next tie.

Central to his thinking will be to limit the influence of Morgan Linehan who tormented the St Paul’s defence all evening and finished with 27 points. Emma Merriweather was a big influence in the paint while Grace Prenter put the finishing touches around the edges.

St Pauls were without the services of the hugely influential Rheanne O’Shea and the GAA-tied Lorraine Scanlon and their absence was certainly felt at both ends of the court.

Gracen Kerr top scored for St Pauls with 20 points, Megan Ormiston had 16, Simeone O’Shea scored eight and the other scores came from Mathilde Diop (7), Leah McMahon (3), Denise Dunlea (3), Siofra O’Shea (3) and Meabh Barry (2).

The two sides will meet again next Saturday in the Paudie O’Connor National Cup with the game being played in Colaiste Iosagain at 5.30pm.

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